Creative Arts and Arts Education: A National Tertiary Snapshot (2018–2025)

The NAAE has compiled a list of Creative Arts and Arts Education courses, majors and units that have been discontinued or significantly reduced across Australian tertiary institutions between 2018 and 2025.

This is part of our second national survey on the status of arts education in higher education. The list will be regularly updated, and we invite the community to contribute by submitting additional entries or corrections via the survey link HERE.

Your input is vital in helping us build an accurate picture of the shifting landscape of arts education in Australia. The list is current as of 11 April 2025.

Part A – Discontinued Courses

Part A.1. Discontinued Creative Arts Courses/Degrees

  • Charles Stuart University, discontinued Bachelor of Theatre Media, 2021/2022.

  • Federation University (Gippsland Campus), Bachelor of Art (Creative Arts) Honours, 2022.

  • Federation University (Gippsland Campus), Bachelor Visual Arts, 2022.

  • Federation University (Horsham Campus), discontinued Cert 1, Cert 2 and Cert 3 of Visual Arts, 2013-2019.

  • Federation University (Horsham Campus), discontinued Diploma of Visual Arts, 2013-2019.

  • Federation University, amalgamated Bachelor of Music Theatre and Bachelor of Acting into one degree – Bachelor of Performing Arts, 2021.

  • Federation University, Master of Arts, 2022.

  • Federation University, Visual Arts PhD program, 2022.

  • Griffith University, Bachelor of Popular Music, discontinued, 2018.

  • Griffith University, discontinued Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary and Applied Theatre, last students in 2019. Transitioned theatre courses into Bachelor of Arts (6 course major, 2018.)

  • James Cook University, discontinued Design and Creative Arts majors within Bachelor, 2023.

  • La Trobe University, Discontinued Honors and Masters specialising in Visual Arts, 2022-2025.

  • Monash University, discontinued Bachelor majors in theatre and performance.

  • Monash University, discontinued Bachelor Music’s stream of ethnomusicology and musicology, 2021

  • Monash University, Removed Centre for Theatre and Performance, 2021.

  • Murdoch University, discontinued Bachelor of Arts: Major in Radio, 2018.

  • Murdoch University, discontinued Bachelor of Arts: Theatre and Drama, 2020.

  • Queensland University of Technology, Bachelor of Music, discontinued, 2018.

  • Queensland University of Technology, discontinued Bachelor of Creative Arts: Dance, 2025. (Note: Dance moved from a Major to a Minor).

  • Queensland University of Technology, discontinued Bachelor of Dance Performance, 2020.

  • Queensland University of Technology, discontinued Bachelor Technical Production, 2022.

  • Queensland University of Technology, Doctor of Creative Industries, discontinued, 2018.

  • Queensland University of Technology, Master of Creative Industries, discontinued, 2018.

  • Queensland University of Technology, Master of Fine Arts, discontinued, 2018.

  • RMIT, discontinued Master of Art in Public Space, 2024.

  • Southern Cross University, Associate Degree of Creative Writing, paused enrolments for standalone degree 2024. Teach out from 2025. (Number of units reduced, and from 2022 all SCU units moved to 6 week term, class time was halved from 36 hours to 18 hours, increasingly online delivery only)

  • Southern Cross University, discontinue Bachelor Art and Design, 2025.

  • Southern Cross University, discontinue Bachelor Contemporary Music, 2025.

  • Southern Cross University, discontinued Bachelor Digital Media, 2025.

  • Southern Cross University, discontinued Honours in Visual Arts, 2021.

  • TAFE NSW, Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts (CUA60720), discontinued, 2025.

  • University of Newcastle, discontinued Bachelor Creative and Performing Arts (Drama), 2021.

  • University of Newcastle, discontinued Bachelor Creative Industries, 2020.

  • University of Newcastle, discontinued Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2018.

  • University of Newcastle, discontinued Bachelor of Natural History Illustration, 2019/2019.

  • University of Queensland, discontinued Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, 2025.

  • University of Queensland, discontinued Masters of Museum Studies, 2025.

  • University of Queensland, Major in Popular Music and Technology, 2025.

  • University of Southern Queensland, discontinued Bachelor of Television and Radio Production, 2024.

  • University of Western Australia, discontinued Mater of Biological Arts, 2022.

  • UNSW, Bachelor of Music, change to Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music, reduced from 4 years to 3 years, 2022.

Part A.2 Discontinued Arts Education courses/degrees

  • Federation University, Double Degree of Bachelor of Visual Art/Bachelor of Education, 2019.

    University of New South Wales (Sydney), Master of Education (Visual Arts), discontinued, 2021.

    University of South Australia, Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, Specialisation in Arts removed in 2025.

Part B – Reductions (Including Courses/Majors/Units)

Part B.1 Reductions (Including Courses/Majors/Units) in Creative Arts

  • La Trobe University, Bachelor of Visual Arts, significant reduction in unit offerings (loss of 10 subjects) from 2020.

  • Queensland College of Art and Design (Griffith University), Majors in Jewellery and Small Objects, and Print, significantly reduced and majors removed, 2022.

  • Queensland Conservatorium (Griffith University), reduced units, duration of lectures and lessons.

  • Queensland University of Technology – reduction within the Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting course (program has been reduced from 14 specialist units to 8, and from 2025, it will be reduced to 6. Intake has expanded from 16 to 40. Hours in study have been significantly reduced).

  • TAFE Queensland, reduction of enrolments/offerings in Diploma of Music, 2024.

  • TAFE Queensland, reduction of enrolments/offerings in Diploma of Screen and Media, 2024.

  • University of Newcastle, a range of units in Design and Visual Communication have been discontinued, 2019 & 2020.

  • University of Newcastle, Bachelor of Visual Communication Design, reduced and under review in 2023.

Part B.2 Reductions (Including Courses/Majors/Units) in Arts Education

  • Australian Catholic University, Bachelor of Education (Secondary), moved face-to-face 2X Drama Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units to online national unscheduled (covering QLD, ACT, NSW and VIC curriculum in an online optional drop-in session), 2022.

  • Australian Catholic University, removed specialisation of arts from Bachelor of Education (Primary), 2024.

  • Edith Cowan University, Mater of Teaching (Primary), reduction of music specialisation from 3 units to one, 2023.

  • Flinders University, Bachelor of Education (Primary), Arts core topic reduction (2 core arts topics combined into 1 and practical hours reduced by half).

  • Flinders University, Master of Teaching (Primary), practical workshops/tutorials have been reduced by half and moved to online options, date TBC.

  • University of South Australia (Adelaide University from 2026), Professional Learning in Arts Education unit, discontinued from 2024.

  • University of South Australia, Bachelor of Early Childhood, four-year arts specialisation has been removed, 2024.

  • University of South Australia, Master of Teaching: Secondary (Arts), reduced offering from 3 to 2 arts courses/units), 2026.

  • University of Southern Queensland, EDP2002 Making and Responding Through the Arts (Bachelor of Education, Primary), electives removed as part of budget repair, 2025.

  • University of Southern Queensland, EDX1152 Arts Curriculum and Pedagogy in Lower Primary (part of Bachelor of Education, Primary; Bachelor of Education, Early Childhood). Reduced rom 12 weeks to 8 weeks, date missing.

  • University of Southern Queensland, EPA320 Arts Curriculum and Pedagogy 2: Integrating Arts in the Classroom, reduced from 12 week to 8 week unit, date missing.

Julie Dyson